M-1 Rail Update: Utility relocation work begins

Crews began utility relocation work along Woodward Avenue on Friday. It’s the first step toward construction of the 3.3 mile streetcar system.

Public access to businesses will not be prevented by the work.

Workers are expected to spend anywhere from 5 to 12 days at worksites along Woodward from Larned to John R.

“The relocation of underground utilities will allow the project to move rapidly once track construction along Woodward Avenue begins next year,” said Paul Childs, Chief Operating Officer, M-1 RAIL. “Today we’ve prudently taken an important step toward fulfilling our mission of delivering a modern streetcar system to Detroit.”

Each worksite will require an excavation approximately 10ft x 10ft in order to relocate or replace catch basins, storm manholes or water main gate valves. Crews are permitted to work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. as necessary.

“We will be using traffic control barrels, signs and barricades to establish temporary lane closures, but our utility relocation work will not prevent customer access to businesses along the Woodward Corridor. We are not shutting down Woodward Avenue for these eight worksites,” said Tom Gilman, Project Manager, Stacy and Witbeck. “This work will eventually require some temporary utility shut-offs, but to minimize the impact to businesses and residents, we have a strategy in place to provide advance notice to the affected parties.”

Here are the intersections where underground relocation work will be done over the next few months, in no particular order: